The Excalibur Drive

The Excalibur Drive winds around the northern part of County Wicklow and is a 40-mile round trip, passing through the towns and villages where the movie Excalibur was filmed.

The drive starts and finishes in the town of Roundwood (at 238 meters above sea level, the highest village in Ireland) a town surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery in the country, with the lakes of the Vartry Reservoir on one side and the Wicklow Mountains on the other.

Roundwood Village

From Roundwood follow the drive north past Victoria’s Way, and then veer left onto route R759 passing Lough Tay and view the dramatic cliffs of the Guinness Estate. At the Sally Gap crossroads the route takes a turn to the right as you follow the old military road past upper and lower Lough Bray. Just before the Peace & Reconciliation Centre the drive takes another turn right along the Glencree River and through the valley towards the Powerscourt Waterfall, a must see spot to get out and stretch your legs. You are now in the Powerscourt Estate & Gardens, an 18th Century Palladian residence and one of the world’s greatest gardens. The terrace café is a good place to relax while admiring the beautiful terraced gardens.

The portrayal of King Arthur’s Medieval England was actually shot in the landscape of Sally Gap in the Wicklow Mountains. The magic sword called Excalibur was thrown into Loch Tay, also home of the Lady of the Lake. The waterfall at Powerscourt near Enniskerry – the longest in Ireland – also was featured in the film. The fight scene between Arthur and Lancelot was filmed on the Powerscourt Estate.

Next, the drive takes you from the nearby pretty village of Enniskerry into the seaside resort of Bray on the Irish coast. There you’ll find a long sand and shingle beach, a spacious esplanade with a bandstand, and a cliff walk from Bray Head at one end of the esplanade to the town of Greystones at the other. This is the place to get in some walking and some breathtaking views before you get back on the driving route.

The drive also leads into Greystones, a charming seaside town of Georgian and Victorian homes. On the way you’ll pass Killruddery House and Gardens, the most extensive surviving French-style gardens in Ireland.

The drive continues south along the seacoast road through the village of Kilcoole and past the world-famous Druids Glen Golf Club. The drive finishes in the village of Newtownmountkennedy, before heading back to Roundwood where you will be ready to enjoy the hospitality of one of the typical Irish pubs in the village.